Swallowing A 'Mini-Pillbox' Could Change The Way HIV Drugs Are Delivered

The idea is that a single capsule could deliver a week's worth of medication — contained in a six-pointed device that's folded up in a capsule.

by Susan BrinkJan 9, 20184 minutes

Researchers are working on a new way to deliver anti-HIV drugs. A six-pointed device (artist's rendering, above) folds up to fit inside a capsule. One swallowed, the capsule dissolves and the device opens up and slowly dispenses the medication.Source: Partners Healthcare / Screenshot by NPR

Maybe you've bought 7-day pill boxes, some with digital reminders, others that talk to you ... not to mention apps that nag you to take your daily dose.

And still you forget your pills.

When the medication is antiretroviral therapy to treat an HIV infection, losing track of the dosing schedule is a life and death matter. These medications arrived like a medical miracle in 1996. Patients diagnosed with AIDS went from being handed a death sentence to knowing they had a chronic but treatable disease. If HIV/AIDS patients wanted a life expectancy equal to uninfected people, all they had to do